


working title

by WielderOfFairyTales



Category: Nightmare Factory (Webcomic)
Genre: Arachnophobia, Dimension Travel, Fear of Heights, How Do I Tag, I did it anyways, Nightmare Exchange, Slightly SIOC, This fandom needs more love, alternate universes (sort of?), fans traveling into the series, phirre isn't nice but he's less of a jerk, should i tag for exploitation of common fears?, too late, w/ this fandom it'd be a given though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-01-01 03:34:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18327797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WielderOfFairyTales/pseuds/WielderOfFairyTales
Summary: I didn't think that the Nightmare Echange even existed. Now, I'm trapped inside it.I have no powers, no allies, and no advantages whatsoever....I'm screwed.Note: updates are extremely irregular. sorry.





	1. How It All Began; Or, The Importance Of Reading The Terms And Conditions

**Author's Note:**

> so uh  
> i started this without any picture (clear or otherwise) of what the heck i was doing  
> so you get a few sentences a day until i can write whole chapters at a time  
> sorry? i guess

I blinked, my eyes burning, as I stifled another yawn. The computer screen in front of me was the only source of light in the room. I squinted at it as I pressed 'enter' once again.

"One more try, then I go to sleep," I promised myself, knowing that it would be hours before I actually decided to go to bed.

When the page started yielding results, I quickly scrolled down, mentally crossing out most of them on sight. 

Down, down, down, until - there. 

The Nightmare Exchange. I grinned, and clicked on the link. It opened to a page whose image I'd all but memorized. 

I scrolled through the page, mentally absorbing everything on it, before coming across the 'Enter Your Name' bar. I smiled, shaking my head. 

"I'm not quite reckless enough to enter the Nightmare Exchange," I mused, brushing a long piece of dark brown hair out of my eyes. "I'd have no advantages - Emai was a body manipulator, Kreyul had his summoning/exporting power - and the two of them were working together. It was still so much of a challenge for them, and they were facing the 'easy' challenges, so how would I fare? With no powers of my own and no one to help me, I would die fairly quickly. Oh well... It's interesting to think about, at least... I do wish that I could be as strong as them."

I clicked the 'back' button, but the screen froze. I clicked it again, frustrated. My internet had been practically crawling lately, making it impossible for me to accomplish anything. I narrowed my eyes at the screen.

"Come on, come on," I muttered. Suddenly, a window popped up on the screen. 

_/Fingerprint recognized: Alyssa Callister. Do you accept the Terms and Conditions of the Nightmare Exchange?/_

"No, no, no... this isn't... It- it can't- I didn't even enter my name! How the-"

_/Thank you for accepting the Terms and Conditions, Alyssa Callister./_

This time, the words came not from a pop up window on the screen, but from a voice emanating from the computer's speakers. It was, quite literally, the voice of a siren. 

A siren that I knew quite a lot about. 

_/Access requested to 60% of all memories, including all phobias and weaknesses./_

"Access not granted! Leave me alone!" 

_/Access granted. Welcome to the Nightmare Exchange./_

This could not be happening. 

_/Phobia: Heights./_

" _What_!?"

The room began to melt away, the ground crumbling away into the darkness of the chasm that formed until I was standing on a tall spire of rock - all that remained of the floor I had previously been standing on.

I peered into the darkness, swallowing nervously. There had to be some way to get out of this. _I hate heights._

"If Emai and Kreyul could escape this Hell-factory, so can I," I reassured myself, half lying. "They always found a way around challenges; there was always some way to get out alive. _Think_."

I looked down again into the blackness that surrounded me, searching for some clue that I might have missed. I attempted to think of a plan, but all I could think about was how far up I must be. And what would happen if I fell. 

"Okay, _stop_. That's not helping." Despite my attempts to act calm, my heartbeat had sped up; I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. All I wanted was to curl up in a ball and hide. 

I forced myself to look down, over the edge of the spire. I squinted into the darkness, trying to make out something - anything - useful.

 _There._  

There must have been some sort of wall enclosing the space I was in, because there was a ledge in it that led to a door. 

Roughly eighty feet down.

On the other side of the very wide chasm.

_What kind of opening challenge is this?_


	2. I Meet The Dreamweaver (Spoiler Alert, He's A Jerk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so i'm trying to put in a semi-regular update schedule but i might not update for a couple months at a time at some points  
> but yeah here's another chapter of my sugar-fueled ramblings  
> enjoy

_What kind of opening challenge is this?_

   I took a deep breath. Maybe if I climbed far enough down the rock, I could leap for the door...

   It'd be close. But I didn't have any other options.

   I crouched down, gripping the edge of the rock tightly, and slowly lowered my left leg over the other side. I found a foothold, and cautiously tested my weight on it. I held my breath - one second, two - and then exhaled. I repeated the action with my other leg, and again, until I was making a steady, if slow, pace down the side of the rock. 

    _Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down don't look down don'tlookdowndon'tlookdown._

I repeated this mantra to myself, occasionally pausing to check on my progress - the door was almost close enough for me to jump. My arms ached, and a bead of sweat trickled down my neck. I had lost track of how long I'd been climbing - hours? Just a few more feet, and then - there. I was as close as I could get. 

   Time to jump. I was on a small ledge facing the door on the other side of the chasm. I needed to go, before I lost my nerve. I took a deep breath, bending my legs as much as I could, and braced my feet against the side of the rock to gain some extra momentum.

    _You can do it, Lyss. You don't have a choice. You_ have _to._

   My heart had crawled into my throat during my climb, and I could feel the adrenaline racing through my veins.

    _Go_.

   I jumped. 

   The ledge in front of me was coming up fast - not fast enough - _I'm not going to make it - goodbye -_

_Wham._

   I hit the ledge at top speed, attempting to tuck and roll at the last second. Everything hurt - but I could _feel_ it. 

   I could _feel_.

    _I was alive._

   Groaning in pain, I rolled onto my feet and stood up. Turning to face the door, I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Whatever was behind that door would no doubt be just as terrifying to deal with as the opening challenge - or worse. 

   I gripped the door handle tightly. No going back. I took a deep breath and opened the door, finding myself face to face with...

   Nothing. A completely dark room - I couldn't see a thing. _Can't back out now._

   I stepped through the door. Immediately, the room flooded with light, burning my eyes. I threw my arm across my face to block it, and just stood there for a few seconds.

   Nothing attacked me. I slowly lowered my arm, now able to see. Looking around, I noticed that the room was devoid of color - a simple grey room, four walls, no furniture or ornamentation other than a wooden chair near one corner. I realized how tired I was, and walked over to the chair. I poked it, uncertain if it was some sort of trap.

    _/Oh, just sit down. It's a chair. It's not going to eat you./_

   The disembodied voice floated from the ceiling, nearly giving me a heart attack. I flinched, before realizing - It was the Game Master. Phirre Lotus.

    _Holy crap, his voice.._.

   I remembered old folk stories about sirens capturing their prey by singing to them, and I understood how someone could be ensnared by such a voice. I gave myself a mental shake. I wasn't about to give in to anything he said - he was still a jerk. I hated jerks.

   Emai hadn't fallen for his tricks. Neither would I.

   "I think I'll stand, t-thanks." I cursed myself for stuttering. _Show no weakness. Feel no fear._

  _/Are you sure?/_

I could sense his smirk. Irritation fueled me. "Yes, I'm sure, thanks," I bit out. Not exactly a snappy comeback, but at least I didn't stutter this time. 

    _/Alright, then. Now, you know how this works. Survive twenty-four hours of your greatest fears in exchange for a wish. Every hour in here equals one hour off of your lifespan. What is it that you want?/_

I thought about it. I hadn't exactly had time to decide on my heart's desire before being thrown in here - What _did_ I want?

   Wait. The harder the wish, the harder the challenges - I had almost forgotten that. I needed an easy wish. Something like - got it. 

   "I wish for the ability to make friendship bracelets." Something exceedingly simple - considering I already had that ability. 

    _/Are you sure? Just think, you could wish for anything. Except bringing back the dead. I don't do that./_

   "I'm sure. What, can't do it?"  Maybe it wasn't wise to piss off the one who basically held my life in his hands, but...

    _/That's easy. If you ask me, you're not very interesting./_

   I ground my teeth together. "Well, then it's a good thing that no one _did_ ask you."

  _/Touché./_

 Aside from my annoyance at the 'Dreamweaver' (as Kreyul called him), my thoughts were racing. There would still be no way I would make it out by myself. After all, Emai's wish was an 'easy' one too... 

   Should I make a deal with Phirre, like Emai did? 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I nearly gave myself a heart attack writing the opening challenge scene 
> 
> ...I really do hate heights


	3. I Make A Bad Deal, Sort Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where I'm going with this

   Should I make a deal with Phirre, like Emai did?

   ...well. It can't hurt to have some advantages, can it?

   I instinctively looked towards the ceiling, though I knew that the source of the voice was not actually there with me.

   “Wait.”

    _/Yes?/_ I could hear the implied eyebrow raise in his question.

   “I want to make a deal.”

    _/Is that so? What kind of deal?/_

   I knew I had to get out of here as soon as possible. In theory, these challenges would be generated on ability level as well as the difficulty of the wish. I guessed that another reason that Emai’s challenges were so difficult was the fact that she had greater capability. 

   So the only thing that mattered was getting out fast, with my lifespan intact. But easier said than done. Which meant...

   “I want you to knock down the number of challenges for me. Make the remaining ones more difficult, and give me less time to beat them in exchange if you want. But if I beat them all within your desired time frame, I get to keep my twenty four years.”

    _/That’s quite a deal, Princess. Are you sure you can handle it?/_

   “I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.”

    _/Alright then, I accept your deal - with one modification./_

   “Yes?”

    _/If you fail, then I get your entire life./_

"Deal."

   Maybe this wasn't the best idea, considering how much trouble Emai and Kreyul had... but I needed to get out of there, and fast.

   Then again, I'd have lost years either way, but now it really was do-or-die. What if I'd bitten off more than I could chew?

   No. I wouldn't even entertain the idea of failure - I couldn't afford to.


	4. I Get Some Defective Bug Spray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tbh i’ll probably change the title

   I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of failure - I couldn’t afford to.

    _/Phobia: Arachnids./_

   Crap.

   The room melted away, leaving me in near-total darkness once again. 


End file.
